Jamie Lee Curtis opened up about forming a close bond with her Ella McCay co-star, Emma Mackey, while filming the family drama, which is set for a December release. The 67-year-old arrived on the red carpet of the film’s London screening on Monday night, glowing in a white figure-hugging dress that fell to her calves.
The Oscar winner added a pair of black pantyhose and black pointed heels to complete the look, and shared several sweet interactions with Emma at the event as they hugged and held hands before posing for photos together.
© WireImageJamie Lee and Emma’s close friendship was on display at the London screening
Jamie Lee spoke exclusively to HELLO! at the event as she shared insight into how her friendship with Emma informed her role in the film. “Emma’s a beautiful person, and I met her the first day at Jim’s [director James L. Brooks] house, and I fell in love with her, honestly,” she told HELLO!
“I mean…my job [in the film] is I’m her number one protector, and you have to love somebody to do that, and I just fell in love with her.” Emma stars as the titular character in the flick, with Woody Harrelson, Rebecca Hall, Ayo Edebiri and Jack Lowden also in the star-studded cast.
The feeling was certainly mutual as Emma told HELLO! and other reporters: “Jamie and I clicked instantly. She’s so wonderful and so warm and so generous, and makes everyone feel at home. She’s just lovely to be around, and she loves her job, so being around those sorts of people makes you feel very at ease and supported when you need it.”
Jamie Lee revealed that while Jack plays an unlikeable character in the film, he was worlds away from that persona in real life. “Jack Lowden…he’s handsome! He’s nice, too, even though he plays such a douchebag,” she laughed.
The official synopsis for the flick reads: “Set in an unnamed state, an idealistic 34-year-old lieutenant governor juggles familial issues and a challenging work life while preparing to take over the job of her mentor, the state’s longtime incumbent governor, who suddenly accepts a cabinet position in the incoming Obama administration.”
© Gareth Cattermole/Getty ImagesThe pair play family members in the upcoming film Ella McCay
Jamie Lee plays Ella’s Aunt Helen, a supportive and protective character who helps her niece navigate family troubles. The 29-year-old Emma looked stunning at the London screening, donning a blazer dress with a gold asymmetrical skirt, black pantyhose and black pointed heels.
She rose to fame following her breakout role in Netflix’s Sex Education in 2019, and has since starred in Death on the Nile, Barbie and Emily.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageJack Lowden stars as Ella McCay’s husband in the film
Jamie Lee is known to be protective of her younger co-stars, including Lindsay Lohan, whom she acted alongside in 2003’s Freaky Friday, and its 2025 sequel, Freakier Friday. “Lindsay was 15 [when the first movie was filmed], and as she’s matured, we’ve stayed in contact our whole lives,” the actress told People.
“I think it’s important, particularly with someone who is young in the movie business, if you connect with them, you have to let them know it’s real,” she continued.
© GettyJamie Lee also shares a close bond with her Freaky Friday co-star, Lindsay Lohan
“I wanted her to understand that there was a bridge and that I was real, and that she always could be real with me. And she was. Through the course of her young life, we’ve stayed in contact.”
She added that the pair bonded over motherhood, after Lindsay welcomed her son, Luai, in July 2023 with her husband, Bader Shammas. Jamie Lee is a mom to Annie, 38, and Ruby, 29, whom she welcomed with her husband, Christopher Guest.
